For USA fans, it has felt likes ages since the country last participated in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament. It was in fact 16 years ago at Beijing 2008 when the Stars and Stripes previously tasted Olympic competition, but a new day has dawned at Paris 2024 for the North Americans.

Leading a squad that is looking to make history by becoming the first USA team to claim a medal in the modern era is center back Walker Zimmerman. The Nashville SC man is one of the team’s three overage players and boasts a wealth of experience at international level, including playing all four USA matches at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

Speaking with FIFA from the team’s training camp in Bordeaux, Zimmerman dished on what could make this USA team a dangerous one in the tournament, his favorite memories of the Games as a kid and the movie his team-mates recently watched for Olympic inspiration.

How is it going so far with this Olympic team?

Walker Zimmerman: It’s going great. People talk a lot about being an overage player, but I honestly don’t think of the age at all. I’m a young kid at heart, so it’s been really fun. They are an easy group to get along with and a bunch of really fun personalities. I think we can accomplish a lot together.

Has it sunk in yet that you’re going to the Olympics?

Honestly, I don’t think it has. I think it will once we get to Marseille. Right now, it just feels like we’re at a training camp because we are isolated right now staying at an awesome scenic resort here, doing all of our work. It doesn’t quite feel like we’re there. There’s not a lot of hype where we are, but I think that’s going to start next week when fans arrive and events kick off.

What does it mean to you that you will always be known as an Olympian?

It’s crazy. It’s something that you obviously dream of as a kid growing up. You’re glued to the TV when the Olympics are on. You’re supporting everyone on Team USA, it doesn’t matter what event it is. Everyone tunes in to watch the Olympics. When my cycle didn’t qualify, I thought that possibility was most likely over, but then over the past six, seven months it looked like there was a real chance to be a part of this group as an overage player. This second life is amazing because it’s a resurrected dream.

What are some of your favorite Olympic memories?

I love watching swimming, all of the Michael Phelps races, also the rivalry we had with the Aussies at Sydney 2000, or the relay races where it comes down to the last leg. I can still picture all of them slapping the water [at Beijing 2008], rooting on their anchor to try to come back and win and they did by a couple hundredths of a second. I like watching Simone Biles in gymnastics, it’s been amazing to see what she’s been able to do. Other events like Team USA basketball, which is always stacked.

Let’s talk about this team. What stands out to you about this group of players?

It’s a lot of guys who are fearless, who are confident on the ball and not afraid to go one-v-one and use their technical ability to advance the attack and create goalscoring opportunities. I think that is something that we don’t always see with our US teams, which is guys taking risks, going one-v-one and attacking.

It’s the first time USA are in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament since 2008, so what’s the message this team wants to send to the country?

Hopefully we are inspiring more kids to get involved in the game, create more fans of US Soccer and some of these guys can give fans a preview of what they can see in the future. That’s the goal for the guys on this team: To have a really good tournament and start working their way onto the full men’s national team for 2026.

Have you been able to provide guidance for these young players?

I think there will be a time for that as we get closer to the games and I can give my experience of what it was like playing in a World Cup. Also, some of the things that I think are helpful off the field that maybe they wouldn’t normally do, whether it’s mindfulness, or doing a journal to have memories to remember this. You always think, ‘Oh, I’ll never forget it,’ but having come from the World Cup, I’ve already forgotten about what happened on a day-to-day basis.

What are your thoughts on opening the group against France?

It’ll be a really good test for us, a good first game. Sometimes it’s not ideal playing the best team first in your group, but if you get a result, all of the sudden it turns everything around. It’s going to be an important game for us for a variety of reasons and we’re looking forward to that moment of having 70,000 fans in Marseille rooting against us and seeing how we can compete. That’ll be putting our feet to the fire and seeing what we are made of.

How far can this team go?

We have our eyes on a gold medal. It’s a unique tournament since there are only 16 teams, so the fact that if you get out of your group, you’re in a quarter-final, and if you win that game, you’re playing for a medal even if you lose the semi-final. It just amps up so quickly and that’s really different from a lot of other major tournaments. Games are every three days and we’re going to have to rely on everyone with the reduced roster size to make it happen.

What would it mean to bring home a medal?

It would be a huge. It’s such an important moment for everyone on this roster to do something special as a collective, to do something special for their individual careers. It’s a big opportunity and it’s just a matter of whether we take it or not. We got to watch the movie Miracle for a team bonding event and a lot of the guys hadn’t seen it yet. I guess it was before their time (laughs), but it’s such a good reminder that you have such a great opportunity and you got to go out there and take it.